Adam Quinn
Encyclopedia
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
, instructor, and prolific composer of bagpipe music, who resides in Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
. He was previously a member of the grade one Simon Fraser University Pipe Band
Simon Fraser University Pipe Band
The Simon Fraser University Pipe Band is a grade one pipe band affiliated with Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada . The band has consistently placed in the top three in world competition and has won the Grade One World Pipe Band Championships six times: 1995, 1996, 1999,...
, and is currently the front-man of the Celtic fusion
Celtic Fusion
Celtic fusion is an umbrella term for modern music which incorporates influences considered "Celtic," or Celtic music which incorporates modern music. It is a syncretic musical tradition which borrows freely from the perceived "Celtic" musical traditions of all the Celtic nations, as well as from...
band, Lucid Druid
Lucid Druid
Lucid Druid is a Celtic fusion band that formed in Clearwater, Florida in 2003. The band self-proclaims their sound as "Traditional Celtic Music of the early 21st century," and "Eclectic World-Fusion Music," describing their multi-faceted and jam-induced music....
.
Biography
Adam began his musical career with the clarinetClarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
at age 9, which he performed through early college years and still features occasionally in Lucid Druid
Lucid Druid
Lucid Druid is a Celtic fusion band that formed in Clearwater, Florida in 2003. The band self-proclaims their sound as "Traditional Celtic Music of the early 21st century," and "Eclectic World-Fusion Music," describing their multi-faceted and jam-induced music....
shows. At age 10 he took up the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, and at age 12 he began to learn the bagpipes
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
under the instruction of Pipe Major Sandy Keith in Dunedin, Florida
Dunedin, Florida
Dunedin is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The name comes from Dùn Èideann, the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. The population was 35,691 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 36,632...
through the local school system. He quickly excelled at the bagpipes in both solo and band competition, and at 17 was named Pipe Major of the Dunedin High School Scottish Highlanders.
After graduating high school, Quinn enrolled at the University of South Florida
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
in Tampa, FL to major in music performance (clarinet). He took a job at Disney's EPCOT Center in Orlando as a substitute musician in a bagpipe trio, which led to a job at Tokyo Disneyland
Tokyo Disneyland
is a 115 acre theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, near Tokyo. Its main gate is directly adjacent to both Maihama Station and Tokyo Disneyland Station. It was the first Disney park to be built outside of the United States and opened on April 15, 1983...
for the next two years. Returning to the US, he worked as a musician at EPCOT until enrolling at Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
in Burnaby, British Columbia in 1995. In 1996 Quinn joined the ranks of the World Champion Simon Fraser University Pipe Band
Simon Fraser University Pipe Band
The Simon Fraser University Pipe Band is a grade one pipe band affiliated with Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada . The band has consistently placed in the top three in world competition and has won the Grade One World Pipe Band Championships six times: 1995, 1996, 1999,...
, with whom he won two World Championship titles in 1996 & 1999. For several years Quinn was not only a member of this band, but also a composer, arranger and concert soloist. Much of his work has been featured on SFUPB albums, most notably Live at Carnegie Hall and Down Under: Live at the Sydney Opera House. Additionally, Quinn's music has been performed on the albums of numerous artists and featured in the 2001 World Championship winning medley.
In 2003, Quinn stopped competing with bagpipes on the professional circuit and focused more on composition and the development of his current Celtic fusion
Celtic Fusion
Celtic fusion is an umbrella term for modern music which incorporates influences considered "Celtic," or Celtic music which incorporates modern music. It is a syncretic musical tradition which borrows freely from the perceived "Celtic" musical traditions of all the Celtic nations, as well as from...
band, Lucid Druid
Lucid Druid
Lucid Druid is a Celtic fusion band that formed in Clearwater, Florida in 2003. The band self-proclaims their sound as "Traditional Celtic Music of the early 21st century," and "Eclectic World-Fusion Music," describing their multi-faceted and jam-induced music....
. In 2004 he released his first collection of original bagpipe music, The Quinnmusic Collection, and Lucid Druid
Lucid Druid
Lucid Druid is a Celtic fusion band that formed in Clearwater, Florida in 2003. The band self-proclaims their sound as "Traditional Celtic Music of the early 21st century," and "Eclectic World-Fusion Music," describing their multi-faceted and jam-induced music....
also released their debut album, Anecdota, which is based around Quinn's original compositions.
In addition to the clarinet, piano and bagpipes, Quinn also plays the didgeridoo
Didgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia around 1,500 years ago and still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"...
, tenor saxophone
Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
and African djembe
Djembe
A djembe also known as jembe, jenbe, djbobimbe, jymbe, yembe, or jimbay, or sanbanyi in Susu; is a skin-covered drum meant played with bare hands....
drum.
As a member
- Dunedin Middle School Pipe Band - Grade IV (Florida, USA 1985-1987)
- Dunedin High School Scottish Highlanders - Grade IV & III (Florida, USA 1987-1991)
- City of Dunedin Pipe BandCity of Dunedin Pipe BandThe City of Dunedin Pipe Band, from the Tampa Bay area of Florida, is a premier competitive Grade II pipe band registered with the Southern United States Pipe Band Asscociation. They are the only grade II pipe band in that association, and one of the few bands of that level in the entire southern...
- Grade II (Florida, USA 1991-1995, 2001-2002) - Simon Fraser University Alumni Pipe Band - Grade II (Canada, 1995-1996)
- Simon Fraser University Pipe BandSimon Fraser University Pipe BandThe Simon Fraser University Pipe Band is a grade one pipe band affiliated with Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada . The band has consistently placed in the top three in world competition and has won the Grade One World Pipe Band Championships six times: 1995, 1996, 1999,...
- Grade I (Canada, 1996-2000) - University of Ballarat Pipe Band - Grade II (Australia, 1999-2000)
- Lucid DruidLucid DruidLucid Druid is a Celtic fusion band that formed in Clearwater, Florida in 2003. The band self-proclaims their sound as "Traditional Celtic Music of the early 21st century," and "Eclectic World-Fusion Music," describing their multi-faceted and jam-induced music....
- Celtic Fusion band (Florida, USA 2003-present)
As an instructor
- Rosie O'Grady Highlanders - Grade III (Florida, USA 1995)
- Robert Malcolm Memorial Pipe BandRobert Malcolm Memorial Pipe BandThe Robert Malcolm Memorial Pipe Band is an organization of four bands affiliated with the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band. Though one primary purpose of the bands is to act as a feeder for the Grade I SFU pipe band, the bands have proven themselves in their own right as highly competitive forces...
- Grade IV (Canada, 1996 - 1998) - Northwest MacGregor Pipe Band - Grade IV (Washington, USA 1998 - 2000)
- High Desert Pipes & Drums - Grade IV (New Mexico, USA 1998 - 1999)
- University of Ballarat Pipe Band - Grade II (Australia, 1999-2000)
As a performer
- Simon Fraser University Pipe Band: Live at Carnegie Hall
- Anna Schaad & David MacVittie: Songspell
- Lucid Druid: Anecdota
As a composer
- Simon Fraser University Pipe Band: Live at Carnegie Hall
- Anna Schaad & David MacVittie: Songspell
- Simon Fraser University Pipe Band: Down Under: Live at the Sydney Opera House
- 2001 World Pipe Band Championships
- Simon Fraser University Pipe Band: On Home Ground: Volume One
- Lucid Druid: Anecdota